Iced Sugar Cookie
by Ventisquear
Summary: It took only one and half days to rescue Airam from Fort Drakon... and yet it was one and half days too long. Will he ever recover? Written for the Domain's challenge.


Written for the Domain's challenge. Prompt was '_Dreams_ (good or bad)'

Requirements: must be a oneshot; must contain a minimum of 500 words; must contain at least _**three**_ of the following words/images: fear | floating | a destination or goal | falling | the dark | the light | the color purple | raindrops | a strong/intense emotion.

Airam is my purple-eyed Warden from **_Failed to Fail_**... so how could I resist? ;o) (And yes, when I played the game for the first time, I really went to Howe's estate _alone_... ouch.)

Cloudreach = April

Thanks to **Brelaina**, my amazing Beta. :o)

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><p><strong>Iced Sugar Cookie<strong>

"All right. I did all I could… There's nothing more I can do tonight. I need to get some rest… you should do the same, Zevran."

"He asked me to stay with him."

"The potion I gave him is one of the strongest; he will sleep for at least ten more hours."

"_He asked me to stay with him_."

Wynne opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it. "As you wish. I will have dinner sent here for you."

He couldn't care less, but nodded anyway. Wynne watched him for a while, then shrugged and left the room. _Finally_. The last bit of his self-control shattered the same moment she closed the door behind her.

It took him one and half days to plan and prepare the break-in into Fort Drakon. Any other time, he would have been proud about it. It was said that nobody had ever escaped from the fort; and as Airam had been the most wanted 'criminal' for a whole year now, the guards were even doubled.

But it was still one and half days too long.

He was never going to forget how they found him in that smelly cell – beaten to a bloody pulp, shocked… _broken_.

It was eight days since the break-in, but Airam still hadn't recovered. The bodily injuries were many and some were quite serious. Racking; severe whipping; burning by hot iron; pulling of his nails… The torturer didn't waste one minute of the day.

And he suspected that during the night before the 'interrogation regarding the treachery of the Grey Wardens, leading to the death of His Majesty King Cailan Theirin', the guards had their own one…

But those injuries would heal over the time. He was more concerned about the scars this would leave on Airam's heart and soul… For eight days, he almost didn't leave his side. The others accepted it – even Wynne acknowledged that the two of them were… _the_ _cutest pair of doves ever_, Leliana's words echoed through his mind.

It was after their fist kiss, not even two months ago. Since then, everyone thought they were lovers. They were not – not yet.

And they were already so much more.

He had had so many lovers before he met his little Warden. The sex was usually amazing. But none of them meant anything. Once they were gone, he would forget all about them within a week. Most of them were just shadows in his past, without a face or a name.

Airam, on the other hand… he looked at the sleeping boy. _So innocent. So fragile. How can anyone wish to harm him? Why must someone so good like him suffer so much? Maker, how could you let this happen? Why didn't you strike down the torturers with lightning? _

The Maker didn't kill them? He will. Because Airam, Airam was everything he lived for.

To see him like this…

"Zev," sobbed Airam in his sleep suddenly. "Zev, don't… please… nooo…" The boy sat up, trying to throw away the blanket and get out of the bed. He quickly sat next to him and gently hugged him.

"I am here, _amore_. I am with you."

Airam turned to him, but his big, purple eyes were strangely unfocused and glazed. _He is still sleeping… dreaming about me? What did I do to him in that dream, that scared him so much? _

oOo

"Zev? Where are we?"

"We're on The Siren's Call… Isabela's ship."

"Oh… that's why it smells so funny."

"But you like pirates, no? So Isabela decided to give you a free ride."

"Trying to make me blush, are you? I'm not Al, Zev."

"No, that you are most certainly not. He does not have such a dirty little mind," he chuckled, so relived he could dance with joy. It was the first time Airam showed any interest in what was going on around him.

"How long is it?"

"Since your trip to Fort Drakon? Two weeks."

"How long was I … there?"

"One and half days."

"Oh… I hoped I at least managed to miss the Landsmeet."

"No such luck, I am afraid. And as this party was called solely for your sake, I am afraid you cannot excuse yourself."

"I don't want to go there, Zev."

"I know, _bello mio_. But if you do not, Loghain will win. Surely you will not allow that?"

"But I am already defeated, Zev. Don't you see? It took him only one and half days to break me. I failed. I disappointed everyone who trusted in me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." Airam curled into himself, quiet sobs shaking his body, tears trailing down his face.

He had never seen Airam crying before.

Sitting on the bed next to him, he pulled him into gentle hug.

"Air… you crazy kid. You sneaked into one of the most guarded places in Denerim – only the palace and Fort Drakon itself are guarded more – you freed the Queen, you killed the traitor, all of it quite alone – and you call _that_ a failure? Nobody is disappointed – on the contrary, you are a hero, my friend. The whole of Denerim loves you for killing that bastard. How do you think we managed to stay hidden from Loghain's search patrols for two weeks?"

"I got captured. I couldn't defeat Ser Cauthrien and her Templars."

"You would have to be the incarnation of the Maker himself to do _that_ all by yourself, you know."

"But I – I can't face him. I am too – I just can't... I'm weak."

"You are not weak. We are the best of the best and you are the best of us. Or so I heard."

"Fearless leader of the saviours of Ferelden." The smile was bit lopsided, but at least it was there. "Look at me now, whining like a baby. I ruined your tunic. I'm sorry."

"Ruined? It is soaked by the tears of the Warden Commander himself! I will treasure it and never wash it again."

"Silly assassin. You never take anything seriously, do you?"

"Ah, for a group of misfits one broody elf is enough, no? If there is another one, he should be funny and adorable, yes? Life would be so boringly normal otherwise."

"And Andraste protect us from being normal." Airam laughed – it was weak and still bit hesitant, but he decided it was still the most beautiful sound in the world.

oOo

One of the nobles that supported the Wardens' case brought them a chair with two big wheels attached. He had it made years ago for his late grandmother, who was gravelly ill and unable to walk, he explained. But he didn't need it now, so if it could be of any use to the Warden, it would be an honour for him.

Naturally, Airam didn't like it at all. "I feel like I am a hundred and twelve," he complained. "What next, will you give me a nappy? If I'm too weak to walk, I'm too weak to walk, point. I'll wait till I'm strong enough."

So he was surprised when Airam suddenly asked him to take him out.

"Of course, my dear. Where would you like me to take you?"

"Anywhere, as long as it's not floating and smelly."

"Ah, and here I thought I could convince you to become a pirate after the Blight. We would travel around the world –"

"Yes, amazing. Now then. Are you going to help me get out of here or not?"

He pouted, mainly to hide the satisfied grin on his face. That was more like their fearless leader.

The Denerim docks were not a very nice place, but it was not possible to go to the other parts of town, not before the Landsmeet. There was something that the people here called a 'public park', though it wouldn't pass for a garden of a bankrupt merchant back home in Antiva. Ah well. For this walk, it had to do. Even here, it wasn't completely safe – they might have a lot of allies now but he was not foolish enough to trust them blindly. But it was easy to quickly disappear, if necessary.

He found a bench next to one of the more pleasant looking bushes, with tiny white flowers on it. There he helped Airam out of the wheelchair and supported him as he made a few hesitant steps, before they sat on the bench.

They were out for an hour or two talking and joking – or at least, he was trying to do that. Airam was just giving half-hearted replies, and seemed rather worried about something. Then it started raining.

"We better return to the ship," he suggested.

"No, not yet! I – it's probably just the typical Cloudreach shower, it will be over soon."

"But Wynne –"

"I'll be fine! I'm not made of sugar, you know. I will not melt."

"Are you sure? You certainly _look_ like you are made of sugar… and you are sweet enough for it, too."

But Airam just shook his head. "No… Not sugar, Zev. Look."

The boy shook the branch of a nearby bush, catching the raindrops in the palm of his hand. He closed his hand for a few seconds, and when he opened it again, there were a few tiny bits of ice on his palm.

"See? It's ice. Water so cold it lost its purpose. Frozen until it lost _itself_. Unfeeling. That's me."

He covered it with his own hand, and soon he felt it melting against his palm. Looking straight into Airam's eyes, he moved his hand away.

"Amore... you did this for me. Now let me do it for you."

Airam looked at his hand. "Zev – I – _pleasedon'tleavemeZev_."

"What?" He couldn't help laughing at the way Airam said it, and suddenly remembering that evening when the boy seemed to dream about him. Was his crazy kid really worried he would leave him? Was that what scared him so?

"I know I said that you're a free man and have to make your own decisions and that I won't push you and that you don't have to stay because of me… but, Zev, I – I _need_ you. Don't leave. Please don't leave me. You're… you're all that keeps me from falling apart and ending it all."

"Leave you? Where would I go? I belong with you. I belong _to_ you. I would storm right into the Black City just to be with you. Never doubt that, _amore_."

He leaned forward to kiss him, but –

"Oh, that is so sweet! Two lovers, sealing their promise of eternal love by a gentle kiss, as the rain washes the whole world clean for them –"

"My dear Leliana, why don't you go composing your romantic ballads somewhere else?"

"No – not a ballad. I want the sweetest happy ending for our story, Zev."

"Sweet like… hmm… iced sugar cookie?"

"Ha, ha. Very funny indeed. Why did I have to fall for a jester?"

"Because I am irresistible, yes?"

They would probably manage to forget Leliana was there, if she didn't cough. "I truly hate to interrupt your cooing, but the Arl Eamon came with some important news. You better come back to the ship."

He groaned, disappointed, but Airam laughed – and it was real, proper laughter he hadn't heard for days.

"Let's go, then. Time to get back to our main quest. Ready for your first task, Zev?"

"I am at your command."

"Go get me some iced sugar cookies for dinner."

"_Sorry_?"

"What? All that sweet talking made me hungry."

He was grinning like madman all the way to the baker and back to the ship, with a big box of the finest cookies in Denerim. Tomorrow, they would have to worry about stopping the Blight again. But tonight – tonight will be a night to remember…


End file.
